2 teachers accused of harassing students

Two Broward County teachers previously disciplined for harassing their students are again in trouble, and could be suspended from their jobs Tuesday.

Raymond Wantroba, a phys ed teacher at Lyons Creek Middle in Coconut Creek, is being charged with immorality, misconduct in office and insubordination. According to a school district complaint, the teacher in February placed a pair of women's purple lace underwear inside a student's locker and took a picture of it on his cell phone.

When the student opened his locker, he discovered the underwear in front of other students, threw it on the floor and was openly laughed at and ridiculed by Wantroba, the complaint said.

A call made to Wantroba's attorney, Mark Herdman, was not returned.

Another teacher, Randy Corinthian of Parkway Middle in Lauderhill, is being charged with incompetency and misconduct in office. According to a district affidavit, the teacher ordered a defiant piano student to leave the classroom. When the student refused and cursed at the teacher, Corinthian grabbed the boy by the back of the neck and placed him a headlock to escort him out of the room. The student said the teacher has aggressively touched him approximately 20 times, the report said.

"He is not a violent man," said Corinthian's attorney, Mark Wilensky. He said the case involved conflicting testimony, including several students who said nothing happened. "Anybody can accuse anybody of anything. We're just waiting for our opportunity to show these accusations are false.''

Superintendent Robert Runcie has recommended both teachers be fired but they are entitled to a state hearing before that can happen. On Tuesday, the School Board will vote on whether to place both on unpaid suspensions. From there, the teachers can request a hearing with an administrative law judge, whose recommendation the board can accept or reject. That process can take months.

"Each situation is an individual situation, each case has some specifics around it," said district spokeswoman Tracy Clark. "Each employee also has collective bargaining agreements that the district has to consider."

In Tuesday's cases, both teachers previously have faced discipline by the district.

Last May, Wantroba, 55, was suspended for three days without pay after he refused to allow a student to use the restroom and the student defecated in his pants. Wantroba also received counseling about his classroom management in 2006, 2007 and 2009. He has been employed by the district since 2004.

According to a district affidavit, Corinthian, 35, is known to touch students inappropriately, flicking their ears, giving "noogies," or grabbing students and physically forcing them to sit down or leave the room. He also placed another student in a headlock and threw him out of class on at least one occassion, the report said. It is not clear if he was disciplined for that incident.

Wilensky said part of the problem is that Corinthian was placed in a position he isn't trained for.

"He was teaching piano to students when he is not a piano teacher and in fact is not a piano player."

In 2011, Corinthian was issued a written reprimand for using inappropriate language toward students and inappropriately hugging some female students at Boyd Anderson High in Lauderdale Lakes. He has been employed by the district since 2002.

The district was not immediately able to provide the average number of teachersfired and/or disciplined each year. When accusations arise, teachers are typically reassigned away from students but still paid.